Highly dynamic gamma-ray emissions are common in tropical thunderclouds.

Thunderstorms emit fluxes of gamma rays known as gamma-ray glows1,2, sporadically observed by aircraft1,3-7, balloons8-11 and from the ground12-18. Observations report increased gamma-ray emissions by tens of percent up to two orders of magnitude above the background, sometimes abruptly terminated by lightning discharges1,3-5. Glows are produced by the acceleration of energetic electrons in high-electric-field regions within thunderclouds8 and contribute to charge dissipation3. Glows had been considered as quasi-stationary phenomena3,5,12, with durations up to a few tens of seconds and spatial scales up to 10-20 km. However, no measurements of the full extension in space and time of a gamma-ray-glow region and their occurring frequency have been reported so far. Here we show that tropical thunderclouds over ocean and coastal regions commonly emit gamma rays for hours over areas up to a few thousand square kilometres. Emission is associated with deep convective cores; it is not uniform and continuous but shows characteristic timescales of 1-10 s and even subsecond for individual glows. The dynamics of gamma-glowing thunderclouds strongly contradicts the quasi-stationary picture of glows and instead resembles that of a huge gamma-glowing 'boiling pot' in both pattern and behaviour.

Flickering gamma-ray flashes, the missing link between gamma glows and TGFs.

Two different hard-radiation phenomena are known to originate from thunderclouds: terrestrial gamma-ray flashes (TGFs)1 and gamma-ray glows2. Both involve an avalanche of electrons accelerated to relativistic energies but are otherwise different. Glows are known to last for one to hundreds of seconds, have moderate intensities and originate from quasi-stationary thundercloud fields2-5. TGFs exhibit high intensities and have characteristic durations of tens to hundreds of microseconds6-9. TGFs often show a close association with an emission of strong radio signals10-17 and optical pulses18-21, which indicates the involvement of lightning leaders in their generation. Here we report unique observations of a different phenomenon, which we call flickering gamma-ray flashes (FGFs). FGFs resemble the usual multi-pulse TGFs22-24 but have more pulses and each pulse has a longer duration than ordinary TGFs. FGF durations span from 20 to 250 ms, which reaches the lower boundary of the gamma-ray glow duration. FGFs are radio and optically silent, which makes them distinct from normal TGFs. An FGF starts as an ordinary gamma-ray glow, then suddenly increases exponentially in intensity and turns into an unstable, 'flickering' mode with a sequence of pulses. FGFs could be the missing link between the gamma-ray glows and conventional TGFs, whose absence has been puzzling the atmospheric electricity community for two decades.

Sociocultural influences on dietary behavior and meal timing among Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander women at risk of endometrial cancer: a qualitative investigation.

PURPOSE: Determine sociocultural influences on dietary behavior, body image, weight loss, and perceptions of the cultural appropriateness of a meal-timing intervention design and menu among Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (NHPI) women at risk of endometrial cancer. METHODS: Six 90-min videoconference focus groups among NHPI women (n = 35) recruited by a community champion in Utah. Eligible women were aged ≥ 18 years at risk of endometrial cancer (i.e., BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2, history of non-insulin-dependent diabetes or complex atypical endometrial hyperplasia) had a working cell phone capable of downloading a phone app, could use their cell phone during the day, and were not night-shift workers. Twelve semi-structured questions were posed during the focus groups. Using inductive qualitative methods based on Hatch's 9-step approach, de-identified transcript data were analyzed. RESULTS: Overarching themes included economic factors, cultural influences, meal choice and timing, and perceptions of health. Subthemes included affordability, waste avoidance, inundated schedules, and cultural influences. Perceptions of body size and weight loss were influenced by family, community, and social media, whose messages could be conflicting. Important intervention components included satisfying, convenient pre-made meals, while barriers included the need to cook for family members. CONCLUSIONS: Dietary interventions targeting metabolic health among NHPI women should consider the multitude of sociocultural and economic factors that influence food choices and meal timing in this population, including affordability, hectic schedules, and immigrant adjustment. Promoting the link between physical and mental well-being as opposed to weight loss is a key approach to reaching this population.

Air pollution and meteorological variables' effects on COVID-19 first and second waves in Spain.

The aim of this research is to study the influence of atmospheric pollutants and meteorological variables on the incidence rate of COVID-19 and the rate of hospital admissions due to COVID-19 during the first and second waves in nine Spanish provinces. Numerous studies analyze the effect of environmental and pollution variables separately, but few that include them in the same analysis together, and even fewer that compare their effects between the first and second waves of the virus. This study was conducted in nine of 52 Spanish provinces, using generalized linear models with Poisson link between levels of PM10, NO2 and O3 (independent variables) and maximum temperature and absolute humidity and the rates of incidence and hospital admissions of COVID-19 (dependent variables), establishing a series of significant lags. Using the estimators obtained from the significant multivariate models, the relative risks associated with these variables were calculated for increases of 10 µg/m3 for pollutants, 1 °C for temperature and 1 g/m3 for humidity. The results suggest that NO2 has a greater association than the other air pollution variables and the meteorological variables. There was a greater association with O3 in the first wave and with NO2 in the second. Pollutants showed a homogeneous distribution across the country. We conclude that, compared to other air pollutants and meteorological variables, NO2 is a protagonist that may modulate the incidence and severity of COVID-19, though preventive public health measures such as masking and hand washing are still very important. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13762-022-04190-z.

Air pollution relevance analysis in the bay of Algeciras (Spain).

The aim of this work is to accomplish an in-depth analysis of the air pollution in the two main cities of the Bay of Algeciras (Spain). A large database of air pollutant concentrations and weather measurements were collected using a monitoring network installed throughout the region from the period of 2010-2015. The concentration parameters contain nitrogen dioxide (NO2), sulphur dioxide (SO2) and particulate matter (PM10). The analysis was developed in two monitoring stations (Algeciras and La Línea). The higher average concentration values were obtained in Algeciras for NO2 (28.850 µg/m3) and SO2 (11.966 µg/m3), and in La Línea for PM10 (30.745 µg/m3). The analysis shows patterns that coincide with human activity. One of the goals of this work is to develop a useful virtual sensor capable of achieving a more robust monitoring network, which can be used, for instance, in the case of missing data. By means of trends analysis, groups of equivalent stations were determined, implying that the values of one station could be substituted for those in the equivalent station in case of failure (e.g., SO2 weekly trends in Algeciras and Los Barrios show equivalence). On the other hand, a calculation of relative risks was developed showing that relative humidity, wind speed and wind direction produce an increase in the risk of higher pollutant concentrations. Besides, obtained results showed that wind speed and wind direction are the most important variables in the distribution of particles. The results obtained may allow administrations or citizens to support decisions.

Epidemiology of Bone Fractures in the Hand in Adult Population Using the ICD-10 Classification.

PURPOSE OF THE STUDY The purpose of this study was to conduct an epidemiological study of hand fractures in adult population. MATERIAL AND METHODS A retrospective observational study in a population of 470,000 habitants was performed. Over the course of three years, all patients over 16 years of age who were diagnosed with fracture or fracture-dislocation at the level of a carpal bone, metacarpal and/or phalange were included. These fractures were classified according to the International Classification of Diseases 10th edition (ICD-10). Incidence rates, along with gender and age distribution were also studied. RESULTS 1,267 patients with a total of 1,341 hand fractures were included. They represented 29.7% of all upper limb fractures and 7.6% of all traumatological emergencies involving a bone fracture during that period. The most frequent ICD-10 group was S62.3, with the fifth metacarpal as the most often affected bone (39.7%). The most frequent location at the level of the phalanges (S62.5) was the proximal third of the proximal phalanx of the fifth radius. The global incidence rate was 99 fractures per 100,000 persons/year. No seasonal variation was observed. Only 10.2% of hand fractures received surgical treatment. DISCUSSION Several epidemiological studies have been published on fractures in the hand, but none have used the ICD-10 classification. Although the distribution of our stratified sample by age and gender was similar to those previously published, the incidence rate in our study was much lower. We may possibly extrapolate our results to the rest of the Spanish population and even to the rest of the population of southern Europe, given the scarcity of epidemiological studies on this matter in these geographical areas. CONCLUSIONS The ICD-10 classification is useful for the description and classification of hand fractures. The most often affected group is that including metacarpals of the long fingers (S62.3), being the distal level of the fifth metacarpal in young male patients the most frequent one. Most fractures are treated conservatively and in case of surgical treatment, the preferred surgical techniques include K-wire fixation, interfragmentary compression screws and plate osteosynthesis. Key words: epidemiology, incidence, fracture, fracture dislocation, carpal bones, metacarpals, finger phalanges.

Vertebral fractures are increased in rheumatoid arthritis despite recent therapeutic advances: a case-control study.

Prevalence and risk factors of vertebral fractures in postmenopausal RA women were assessed in 323 patients and compared with 660 age-matched women. Of patients, 24.15% had at least one vertebral fracture vs.16.06% of controls. Age, glucocorticoids and falls were the main fracture risks. Vertebral fractures were associated with disease severity. INTRODUCTION: There is little quality data on the updated prevalence of fractures in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) that may have changed due to advances in the therapeutic strategy in recent years. This study was aimed at analysing the prevalence and risk factors of vertebral fractures in postmenopausal women with RA and comparing it with that of the general population. METHODS: We included 323 postmenopausal women diagnosed with RA from 19 Spanish Rheumatology Departments, randomly selected and recruited in 2018. Lateral radiographs of the thoracic and lumbar spine were obtained to evaluate morphometric vertebral fractures and the spinal deformity index. We analysed subject characteristics, factors related to RA, and fracture risk factors. The control group consisted of 660 age-matched Spanish postmenopausal women from the population-based Camargo cohort. RESULTS: Seventy-eight (24.15%) RA patients had at least one vertebral fracture. RA patients had increased fracture risk compared with controls (106 of 660, 16.06%) (p = 0.02). Logistic regression analysis showed that age (OR 2.17; 95% CI 1.27-4.00), glucocorticoids (OR 3.83; 95% CI 1.32-14.09) and falls (OR 3.57; 95% CI 1.91-6.86) were the independent predictors of vertebral fractures in RA patients. The subgroup with vertebral fractures had higher disease activity (DAS28: 3.15 vs. 2.78, p = 0.038) and disability (HAQ: 0.96 vs. 0.63, p = 0.049), as compared with those without vertebral fractures. CONCLUSION: The risk of vertebral fracture in RA is still high in recent years, when compared with the general population. The key determinants of fracture risk are age, glucocorticoids and falls. Patients with vertebral fractures have a more severe RA.

Efficacy and safety of administering oral misoprostol by titration compared to vaginal misoprostol and dinoprostone for cervical ripening and induction of labour: study protocol for a randomised clinical trial.

BACKGROUND: Among the various methods available, the administration of prostaglandins is the most effective for inducing labour in women with an unfavourable cervix. Recent studies have compared treatment with various titrated doses of oral misoprostol with vaginal misoprostol or dinoprostone, indicating that the use of an escalating dose of an oral misoprostol solution is associated with a lower rate of caesarean sections and a better safety profile. The objective of this study is to assess which of these three therapeutic options (oral or vaginal misoprostol or vaginal dinoprostone) achieves the highest rate of vaginal delivery within the first 24 h of drug administration. METHODS: An open-label randomised controlled trial will be conducted in Araba University Hospital (Spain). Women at ≥41 weeks of pregnancy requiring elective induction of labour who meet the selection criteria will be randomly allocated to one of three groups: 1) vaginal dinoprostone (delivered via a controlled-release vaginal insert containing 10 mg of dinoprostone, for up to 24 h); 2) vaginal misoprostol (25 µg of vaginal misoprostol every 4 h up to a maximum of 24 h); and 3) oral misoprostol (titrated doses of 20 to 60 µg of misoprostol following a 3 h on + 1 h off regimen up to a maximum of 24 h). Both intention-to-treat analysis and per-protocol analysis will be performed. DISCUSSION: The proposed study seeks to gather evidence on which of these three therapeutic options achieves the highest rate of vaginal delivery with the best safety profile, to enable obstetricians to use the most effective and safe option for their patients. TRIAL REGISTRATION: NCT02902653 Available at: https://clinicaltrials.gov/show/NCT02902653 (7th September 2016).

Morphological and Optical Characterization of Gold Nanoparticles Decorated Porous Silicon.

In this article, physical characteristics of porous silicon (PS) obtained by electro chemical etching using HAuCl4 in the electrolyte are described. The morphological and optical features of PS decorated with gold-nanoparticles (AuNPs) were analyzed in function of the chemical etching time. The insertion of AuNPs inside the PS were performed simultaneously with the formation of the porous silicon layer. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis showed the formation and incorporation of AuNPs with an average size of 20 nm in the PS structure, which has a pore size of 1.5 µm. Also, it was possible to observe the loss of Si in function of the etching time. Photoluminescence spectroscopy analysis shows a decreasing of the PL intensity, which can be related to the presence of oxygen in the samples. Raman spectroscopy was used to estimate the size of the Si nanocrystals in the PS structure, which suffers a reduction in size due to the presence of HAuCl4 in the electrolyte.

Gene Coexpression Networks Drive and Predict Reproductive Effects in Daphnia in Response to Environmental Disturbances.

Increasing effects of anthropogenic stressors and those of natural origin on aquatic ecosystems have intensified the need for predictive and functional models of their effects. Here, we use gene expression patterns in combination with weighted gene coexpression networks and generalized additive models to predict effects on reproduction in the aquatic microcrustacean Daphnia. We developed models to predict effects on reproduction upon exposure to different cyanobacteria, different insecticides and binary mixtures of cyanobacteria and insecticides. Models developed specifically for groups of stressors (e.g., either cyanobacteria or insecticides) performed better than general models developed on all data. Furthermore, models developed using in silico generated mixture gene expression profiles from single stressor data were able to better predict effects on reproduction compared to models derived from the mixture exposures themselves. Our results highlight the potential of gene expression data to quantify effects of complex exposures at higher level organismal effects without prior mechanistic knowledge or complex exposure data.

Tuberculosis and cigarette smoke exposure: An update of in vitro and in vivo studies.

Tuberculosis (TB) has been declared the first cause of death by an infectious agent. Annually, 10.4 million people suffer active TB. Most infected individuals live in low-income countries, where social and economic conditions enhance the dissemination and progression of the disease. These countries have a high percentage of smokers. Thousands of studies have linked cigarette smoke (CS) with increased risk of many diseases, such as cancer and lung diseases. Numerous in vitro studies have been conducted to evaluate the general and specific toxic effects of CS in lung immune function. Smoke exposure increases the risk of TB development three-fold. However, until now, only few animal studies have been performed to analyze the association between smoke and TB. In the present work, we review in vitro and in vivo studies whose aim was to analyze the molecular basis of TB susceptibility caused by exposure to CS.

Electronic and Structural Study of ZnxSx [x = 12, 16, 24, 28, 36, 48, 96, and 108] Cage Structures.

We present a density functional study on the structural and electronic properties of ZnS bubble clusters, specifically, hollow cages whose spontaneous formation was previously observed in classical molecular dynamics simulations by Spano et al. [J. Phys. Chem. B 2003, 107, 10337]. The hollow ZnS cages in our study were modeled as ZnxSx [x = 12, 16, 24, 28, 36, 48, 108], and an onionlike structure was modeled as Zn96S96. The study of energetics and stability, performed using large polarized Gaussian basis sets, indicated all structures to be energetically stable with similar binding energy of 5.5-5.6 eV per ZnS pair. Further computation of electronic properties showed that these cages have large vertical ionization energies and relatively low electron affinities in the ranges of 6.8-8.1 and 1.7-3.0 eV, respectively. They have large highest occupied molecular orbital-lowest unoccupied molecular orbital gaps between 2.5 and 3.3 eV, and quasi-particle gaps vary from 6.2 eV for Zn12S12 to 4.19 for Zn108S108. The computed vibrational frequencies for selected cages, that is, Zn12S12, Zn16S16, Zn28S28 (O, S4, and S8 point groups), and Zn36S36 indicate that these cage structures correspond to local minima on the potential energy surface. Finally, the infrared spectra calculated using large basis sets are also reported.

Mitochondrial DNA phylogeography of least cisco Coregonus sardinella in Alaska.

This study presents the first detailed analysis of the mitochondrial DNA diversity of least cisco Coregonus sardinella in Alaska using a 678 bp segment of the control region (D-loop) of the mitochondrial genome. Findings suggest that the history of C. sardinella in Alaska differs from that of other species of Coregonus present in the state and surrounding regions. The examined populations of C. sardinella are genetically diverse across Alaska. Sixty-eight distinct mitochondrial haplotypes were identified among 305 individuals sampled from nine locations. The haplotype minimum spanning network and phylogeny showed a modest level of geographic segregation among haplotypes, suggesting high levels of on-going or recent connectivity among distant populations. Observed ΦST values and the results of homogeneity and AMOVAs indicate incipient genetic differentiation between aggregations in three broad regional groups. Sites north of the Brooks Range formed one group, sites in the Yukon and Selawik Rivers formed a second group and sites south of the Yukon drainage formed the third group. Overall, the sequence data showed that a large proportion of mtDNA genetic variation in C. sardinella is shared across Alaska, but this variation is not homogeneously distributed across all regions and for all haplotype groups.

Mexican consensus on dyspepsia. / Consenso mexicano sobre la dispepsia.

Since the publication of the 2007 dyspepsia guidelines of the Asociación Mexicana de Gastroenterología, there have been significant advances in the knowledge of this disease. A systematic search of the literature in PubMed (01/2007 to 06/2016) was carried out to review and update the 2007 guidelines and to provide new evidence-based recommendations. All high-quality articles in Spanish and English were included. Statements were formulated and voted upon using the Delphi method. The level of evidence and strength of recommendation of each statement were established according to the GRADE system. Thirty-one statements were formulated, voted upon, and graded. New definition, classification, epidemiology, and pathophysiology data were provided and include the following information: Endoscopy should be carried out in cases of uninvestigated dyspepsia when there are alarm symptoms or no response to treatment. Gastric and duodenal biopsies can confirm Helicobacter pylori infection and rule out celiac disease, respectively. Establishing a strong doctor-patient relationship, as well as dietary and lifestyle changes, are useful initial measures. H2-blockers, proton-pump inhibitors, prokinetics, and antidepressants are effective pharmacologic therapies. H.pylori eradication may be effective in a subgroup of patients. There is no evidence that complementary and alternative therapies are beneficial, with the exception of Iberogast and rikkunshito, nor is there evidence on the usefulness of prebiotics, probiotics, or psychologic therapies. The new consensus statements on dyspepsia provide guidelines based on up-to-date evidence. A discussion, level of evidence, and strength of recommendation are presented for each statement.

Interleukin-1 receptor antagonist mediates toll-like receptor 3-induced inhibition of trophoblast adhesion to endometrial cells in vitro.

STUDY QUESTION: Is interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1RA) involved in the toll-like receptor 3 (TLR 3)-induced inhibition of trophoblast cells' adhesion to endometrial cells in vitro? SUMMARY ANSWER: IL-1RA mediates the TLR 3-induced inhibition of trophoblast cells' adhesion to endometrial cells in vitro. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY: It is well documented that endometrial TLR 3 activation leads to impairment of trophoblast binding to endometrial cells in vitro. IL-1RA is known as an anti-implantation factor, as its injection significantly reduced implantation rates in mice by an effect on endometrial receptivity. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION: Poly I:C was used as a TLR3 specific ligand and endometrial cells were either treated or not with Poly I:C (treated versus control) in vitro. IL-1RA was applied to block IL-1 signal transduction. IL-1RA was knocked down by Accell Human IL1RN siRNA. Flagellin was used to stimulate TLR 5. SP600125 (JNK) was applied to inhibit the mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK) pathway. BAY11 -7082 was used to inhibit the nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) pathway. The experiments were performed in three replicates on three separate days. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS: An in vitro assay was developed using RL95-2 (an endometrial cell line) and JAr (a trophoblast cell line) cells. Initially, the production of IL-1RA in RL95-2 cells in response to TLR 3 activation was measured. To determine whether the TLR 3-induced inhibition of trophoblast binding was mediated through IL-1RA: (i) we evaluated the effect of IL-1RA on the attachment of trophoblast cells to endometrial cells; (ii) we knocked down TLR3-induced IL-1RA gene expression by IL-1RA Small interfering RNA (siRNA) and evaluated trophoblast attachment to endometrial cells. Finally, to clarify through which pathway TLR 3-induced inhibition of trophoblast binding occurs: (i) activation of NF-κB and MAPK was detected by transfecting the cells with secreted placental alkaline phosphatase reporter plasmids bearing promoter sequences for each transcription factor; (ii) the inhibitors for NF-κB and MAPK were used to block signaling; (iii) it was then investigated whether addition of these inhibitors could restore the TLR 3-induced impairment of trophoblast attachment to the endometrial cells. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE: Our results showed that addition of polyinosinic:polycytidylic acid (Poly I:C) to RL95-2 cells significantly increased the production of IL-1RA (P < 0.05). Addition of human recombinant IL-1RA to RL95-2 cells remarkably decreased the adhesion rate of trophoblast cells to endometrial cells (P < 0.05). In addition, suppression of TLR3-induced IL-1RA gene expression in RL95-2 cells significantly restored trophoblast cells attachment to endometrial cells in the presence of Poly I:C (P < 0.05). Only TLR3 and not TLR5 induced MAPK activation (P < 0.05). TLR3 ligation did not affect NF-κB activation. Of NF-kB and MAPK inhibitors, only MAPK's inhibitor could achieve restoration of spheroid adhesion to endometrial cells (P < 0.05). LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION: This study has been only done in vitro. Future in vivo studies will confirm our data. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS: The findings of this study have a potential clinical application in introducing IL-1RA as one of the diagnostic infertility markers in the endometrium, which can affect the process of embryo adhesion at the time of implantation. Moreover, based on the novel data obtained in the current study, blocking and regulating the MAPK pathway by its inhibitors can be used as a new strategy to prevent and treat virus-induced infertility cases in ART techniques. STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST: This study was partially funded by a Marie Curie IIF-253948 grant to I.C. and was partially funded by the author's institutions. The authors have no conflict of interest to declare.

Activation of Toll-like receptor 3 reduces actin polymerization and adhesion molecule expression in endometrial cells, a potential mechanism for viral-induced implantation failure.

STUDY QUESTION: Does activation of endometrial Toll-like receptor 3 (TLR 3) affect cell receptivity to trophoblast adhesion? SUMMARY ANSWER: TLR 3 activation in vitro reduces the attachment of trophoblast cells to endometrial cells by altering the cell cytoskeleton and reducing the expression of adhesion molecules in human endometrial cells. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY: It is well documented that the presence of an infection at the time of implantation can lead to implantation failure. The female reproductive tract recognizes invading micro-organisms through the innate pathogen recognition receptors such as the TLRs. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION: Poly I:C was used as a TLR 3-specific ligand and endometrial cells were either treated or not with Poly I:C (treated versus control) in vitro. The experiments were performed in three replicates on three separate days. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS: An in vitro assay was developed using RL95-2 (a human endometrial cell line) and JAr (a human trophoblast cell line) cells. Initially, the percentage of attached JAr spheroids to RL95-2 was measured in response to TLR 3 activation. Next, actin polymerization in RL95-2 cells was assessed in response to TLR 2/6, 3 and 5 activation. Phalloidin was used to assess the mean fluorescence intensity of F-actin by flow cytometry or confocal microscopy. Secondly, the influence of TLR 2/6, 3 and 5 activation on the expression of cluster of differentiation 98 (CD98) and ß3 integrin was determined. To further understand through which pathways the TLR 3-induced alterations occur, inhibitors were applied for Toll/interleukin-1 receptor domain-containing adaptor inducing interferon-beta (TRIF), myeloid differentiation primary response 88 (MYD88), mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK) and nuclear factor pathways. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE: We observed that stimulation of TLR 3 in endometrial cells with different concentrations of Poly I:C led to a reduction in the percentage of trophoblasts attached to the endometrial cells in a dose-dependent manner (P < 0.05). This decrease was consistent in the Poly I:C treated group regardless of the co-incubation time (P < 0.05). In addition, our results demonstrated that actin polymerization and CD98 expression significantly decreased only in response to TLR 3 activation (P < 0.05). Activation of endometrial cells with TLR 2/6, 3 and 5 significantly reduced ß3 integrin expression (P < 0.05). These alterations were shown to work via MYD88-MAPK pathways (P < 0.05). LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION: This study has been performed in vitro. Future in vivo studies will be required in order to confirm our data. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS: This is a novel discovery which extends our current knowledge concerning diagnosis and treatment of viral-induced infertility cases. STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTERESTS: This research was supported by the COST Action FA1201 (GEMINI) by granting a Short Term Scientific Mission and the Instituto de Salud Carlos III by granting Grant PI11/01645. The authors have no conflict of interest to declare.

Effect of the structure on luminescent characteristics of SRO-based light emitting capacitors.

In this paper, we study the structural, optical and electro-optical properties of silicon rich oxide (SRO) films, with 6.2 (SRO30) and 7.3 at.% (SRO20) of silicon excess thermally annealed at different temperatures and used as an active layer in light emitting capacitors (LECs). A typical photoluminescence (PL) red-shift is observed as the silicon content and annealing temperature are increased. Nevertheless, when SRO30 films are used in LECs, a resistance switching (RS) behavior from a high current state (HCS) to a low conduction state (LCS) is observed, enhancing the intense blue electroluminescence (EL). This RS produces a long spectral blue-shift (∼227 nm) between the EL and PL band, and it is related to structural defects created by a high current flow through preferential conductive paths breaking off Si-Si bonds from very small silicon nanoparticles (Si-nps) (Eδ (Si ↑ Si ≡ Si) centers). LECs with SRO20 films do not present the RS behavior and only exhibit a slight shift between PL and EL, both in red spectra. The carrier transport in these LEC devices is analyzed as being trap assisted tunnelling and Poole-Frenkel through a quasi 'continuum' of defect traps and quantum dots for the conduction mechanism in SRO30 and SRO20 films, respectively. The results prove the feasibility of obtaining light emitting devices by using simple panel structures with Si-nps embedded in the dielectric layer.

Brewery and liquid manure wastewaters as potential feedstocks for microbial fuel cells: a performance study.

This work aims at the comparison of the electrical and chemical performance of microbial fuel cells (MFCs) fed with several types of brewery and manure industrial wastewaters. Experiments were conducted in a single-cell MFC with the cathode exposed to air operated in batch and fed-batch modes. In fed-batch mode, after 4 days of operation, a standard MFC was refilled with crude wastewater to regenerate the biofilm and recreate initial feeding conditions. Brewery wastewater (CV1) mixed with pig-farm liquid manure (PU sample) gave the highest voltage (199.8 mV) and power density (340 mW/m3) outputs than non-mixed brewery waste water. Also, coulombic efficiency is much larger in the mixture (11%) than in the others (2-3%). However, in terms of chemical oxygen demand removal, the performance showed to be poorer (53%) for the mixed sample than in the pure brewery sample (93%). Fed-batch operation showed to be a good alternate for quasi-continuous operation, with equivalent electrical and chemical yields as compared with normal batchwise operation.

Proteomic characterization of EPCs and CECs "in vivo" from acute coronary syndrome patients and control subjects.

BACKGROUND: Circulating endothelial cells (CECs) and endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) represent two scarce blood populations that are thought to play important roles in tissue vascularization. They have also been proposed as potential markers for more than a dozen pathologies. Moreover, EPCs have arisen as a new therapeutic option for cardiovascular disease. However nowadays there is certain controversy about their roles and a better understanding of EPC biology is required to develop new strategies for forthcoming therapies. METHODS: Flow cytometry analysis was performed on freshly isolated mononuclear cells from control subjects and Acute Coronary Syndrome (ACS) patients. EPCs and CECs for both groups were isolated and quantified. Statistical analyses were performed to test the potential biomarker usefulness of both populations in ACS together with the first "in vivo" proteomic characterizations of these populations. RESULTS: Our results do not show statistical differences in the quantification of CECs and EPCs in control subjects and ACS patients. The proteomic characterization allowed us to identify 673 proteins associated to CECs (389 in controls and 462 in ACS patients), and another 502 proteins in EPCs (350 in controls and 274 in ACS patients). CONCLUSIONS: Our data show the necessity to obtain a more accurate and specific phenotype of CECs and EPCs cells as well as a flow cytometry "golden standard" protocol, before they can be considered useful clinical markers. GENERAL SIGNIFICANCE: The proteomic data suggest a potential effect of ACS in the protein profiles of these cells.

Predicting response and survival in chemotherapy-treated triple-negative breast cancer.

BACKGROUND: In this study, we evaluated the ability of gene expression profiles to predict chemotherapy response and survival in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). METHODS: Gene expression and clinical-pathological data were evaluated in five independent cohorts, including three randomised clinical trials for a total of 1055 patients with TNBC, basal-like disease (BLBC) or both. Previously defined intrinsic molecular subtype and a proliferation signature were determined and tested. Each signature was tested using multivariable logistic regression models (for pCR (pathological complete response)) and Cox models (for survival). Within TNBC, interactions between each signature and the basal-like subtype (vs other subtypes) for predicting either pCR or survival were investigated. RESULTS: Within TNBC, all intrinsic subtypes were identified but BLBC predominated (55-81%). Significant associations between genomic signatures and response and survival after chemotherapy were only identified within BLBC and not within TNBC as a whole. In particular, high expression of a previously identified proliferation signature, or low expression of the luminal A signature, was found independently associated with pCR and improved survival following chemotherapy across different cohorts. Significant interaction tests were only obtained between each signature and the BLBC subtype for prediction of chemotherapy response or survival. CONCLUSIONS: The proliferation signature predicts response and improved survival after chemotherapy, but only within BLBC. This highlights the clinical implications of TNBC heterogeneity, and suggests that future clinical trials focused on this phenotypic subtype should consider stratifying patients as having BLBC or not.